Therefore, my dear father, three days afterwards, Moses, accompanied by his brother and myself, took leave of Jethro, and taking his wife and son, and holding the "rod of God" in his hand, left Midian. The next day we fell in with a caravan from the East, and after many days I once more reached Egypt. In sight of On, I parted from Moses, who went with his family to that part of the land of Goshen where his tribe dwells, which is not far from the treasure-city of Raamses.
The first hours I could command, after reaching the palace of the Governor of On, with whom I dwell as a guest, I have devoted, my dear father, to a recital of these extraordinary events. Moses seems to be a different man! calm majesty sits enthroned upon his brow, and he is profoundly impressed with the sublime mission which Heaven has intrusted to him.
Aaron, who has, from time to time, revisited Egypt, and is well known to the elders of his people, will be a great support and aid to Moses, in his intercourse with the Hebrews. The two mighty brothers are now assembling the elders together, though it is but two days since they returned to Egypt. Secretly, messengers have been going by night throughout the land of Goshen, calling an assembly, in the name of the God of Abraham, to meet, two nights hence, at the ruined fountain of Jacob.
I shall also be present, dear father, by permission of the inspired Moses. What infinite issues will grow out of that midnight meeting of these "sons of God," for such, though in bondage, are these Hebrews shown to be! How little Thothmes-Amosis, who calls himself also, vainly, after Amunophis, the Great, and assumes the style, "Upholder of worlds," "Lord of the Diadem of Heaven," and "Beloved of the Sun," upon his cartouch,—how little, I repeat, he dreams that One mightier than he, the Upholder of the universe, very Lord of heaven and earth, and Creator of the sun, is armed with vengeance against him, and will presently bring him into judgment for the bondage of the Hebrews! I saw him this morning in his palace, for he is now in his palace at On, having hastened to pay him my homage after my absence. He was in gay humor, for news had reached him that his "lord of the mines" had opened a new vein of silver, in the southern mountains near Ethiopia.
"I will send one hundred thousand of these Hebrews to work it, O prince," he said. "I will, to-morrow, give orders to all the governors, and chief captains, and officers over them, to choose me the strongest and most dangerous, and assemble them in companies of thousands, and, under strong guard, march them to the Thebaïd. By the gods! yesterday I was planning some new device to destroy their children, male and female; but the mines come happily to my aid!"
Thus does this proud, weak, luxurious, and cruel monarch, confident of power, and sitting as a god upon his throne, acknowledging no power above his own, dream of wealth, and rejoice in dominion!
Did policy prompt me to give him warning? I feared the God of Moses more than I sympathized with a contemporaneous prince, albeit Tyre was his ally.
Farewell, my dear father.
My next letter will, no doubt, convey to you startling tidings.
Your affectionate son,